Short term tax rebates and tax holidays, like the ones being discussed in the current stimulus proposal do not work, as we have pointed out in the past, especially in contrast to the permanent tax cuts we support. However, Charlie Rangel should be the last person to eliminate any type of tax cuts from the debate.

Charlie Rangel and Timothy Geithner are taking “tax holidays” to a whole new level.

The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. Donate now

Rory Cooper is Director of Strategic Communications at The Heritage Foundation. In this position, Cooper coordinates the think tank’s external message and internal communications, manages its entire digital communications and social media portfolios, and develops new media partnerships. Cooper also serves as the executive editor for The Foundry, the conservative policy news blog at Heritage.

Join The Discussion

How is it that Geithner and Rangel avoided scrutiny by IRS until newspapers or blogs reveal their non-compliance! It is beyond me that these guys have no conscience in initiating and confiscating ordinary citizens' property while they avoid them-all ethical, legal!!!

Perhaps the mainstream media, so enamored with Bush bashing for eight years, could actually write articles analyzing Chavez nomination and subsequent withdrawal to Geithner nomination. Where are all the sanctimonious, self righteous recreants that make up mainstream media? Wonder if that bastion of the media, Bob Woodward, will "expose" the hypocricy prevelent in the media regarding Cabinet nominations? Doubt it!

Those two Leftists/government elitists (Rangel and Geithner) are two more "shining examples" of the fact that, as promised and declared two (2) years ago by their Comrade Nancy Pelosi (and Obamanites now), we not only have "the most ethical, and transparent Congress (and Presidential Administration) in history", but they, and their accomplices in academia and the media (such as Sam Donaldson and his simultaneous "crusade" against "corporate welfare" and interview declaration that he wouldn't give up his [corporate welfare] sheep farm subsidy [quote] "as long as I can get it"), are all of course eminently qualified to pose as if campaigning and/or "crusading" for more and higher taxes against (quote) "the rich"!

Oh, but of course none of the Leftists/government elitists such as Rangel, Geithner, and Donaldson qualify as "rich"! Oh no! Rangel's condo in exotic Punta Cana must be part of some "right-conspiracy" against him, and his storing his Mercedes on government property must also be part of some "right-wing conspiracy"; Geithner must be a really poor, innocent victim of (conveniently evasive) amnesia, with some "right-wing conspiracy" using it against him; Donaldson's sheep farm must be a poverty-stricken sandlot with sheep on it, with some "right-wing conspiracy" using that against him also, and anything and everything to the contrary against them and their Comrades must all be nothing other than a (to quote Hillary Clinton) "vast, Right-wing conspiracy"!

So of course such Leftists/government elitists are all eminently qualified and ready to raise taxes against "the rich", and see to it that the only thing which beats "tax evaders" to prison are "the headlights on the squad car", while they do the same thing…evade taxes and/or generally make unethical, anything but "transparent", money and power-grabbing hypocrites of themselves!

Ah yes…"the most ethical and transparent Congress in history", and, soon, "the most ethical and transparent Presidential Administration in history", are instead at least one of the most, if not the most scandalously unethical and non-transparent Congresses in modern U.S. history, and "the Obama Administration" hasn't even made it out of "transition" status yet, and it’s already at least one of the most, if not the most scandalously corrupt and non-transparent “Presidential Administrations” in modern U.S. history!

"Change we can believe in", right? Not!!!

And anything such as (quote) "But what about (any previous Republican) Congress and/or Administration?" is nothing other than a cop-out attempt to evade and escape from any substantive and equally applied facts and excuse or even justify unethical Democrat behavior and corruption!

"The Left takes a tax holiday", alright, at our (taxpayer) expense, in more ways than one!

Stimulus Package should be an income tax free year for 2009 and no capital gains tax.

Instead of letting the bloated politicians spend a trillion dollars on bridges to nowhere, let the American people spend it on what they want.

Stop payroll deduction, everyone would have an instant increase in take home pay and the stock market would skyrocket with no capital gains.

People could afford car payments, etc. with greater take home pay, plus after a year of taking home their gross income it would be difficult for politicians to reinstate payroll deductions. A WIN, WIN, WIN for the American people.

New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel is currently under a House Ethics investigation for under reporting his assets along with some tax violations. He is the Chairman of the tax writing Ways and Means Committee, but did not pay taxes on rental income and ended up writing checks to cover taxes due on his 2004, 2005, and 2006 returns. He did not pay penalties and interest on those payments, but said he would if the IRS imposes them.

In 2004 Rangel reported earning between $4000.00 and $10,000.00 in outside earnings on top of his $158,100.00 congressional salary. But in amended filings his outside income was between $118,000.00 and $1.04 million. He also underreported his income in years 2002, 2003, and 2004. In 2007 he disclosed that his net worth was between $516,015.00 and $1.316 million, yet he has now amended his 2007 financial form claiming his net worth is somewhere between $1.028 million and $2.495 million. Could this be considered tax evasion?

Why would he do such a thing? How could this happen? Again, he is the “Chairman” of the tax-writing committee. Could it be that there are income restrictions to live in a rent-stabilized apartment? He’s has 4. Could it be that he’s too busy writing tax law to get more money out of the citizenry? Could it be that he is forgetful? Could it be because he is an elitist and doesn’t think he has to pay taxes? Could it be this is his form of reparations?

Mr. Rangel has four rent-stabilized apartments, one of which he uses as a campaign office. However, state and city regulations require rent-stabilized apartments to be used as a primary residence. My questions to the state and city housing regulators are: “How can one of the apartments be used as a campaign office when it states in the regulations it must be used as a primary residence?” “How can all four apartments be considered a primary residence?”

Mr. Rangel stated that he made a series of mistakes that are unconscionable, but there was no intention to avoid or evade the law. Al Capone might have said the same thing.

Now, Mr. Rangel inputted into the health-care bill broad new provisions cracking down on taxpayers in proceedings with the IRS. In it the bill would do the following:

Punish those who fail to alert the IRS to potentially questionable tax exemptions.(more snitches)

Bar the IRS from waiving penalties against taxpayers who clearly erred in good faith.

Impose double fines in certain circumstances.

The bill raises penalties and eliminates many of the reasonable defenses that taxpayers have always been able to use when honest mistakes are uncovered. Can you say “hypocrite?” Would this be considered hypocritical?

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said the Obama administration would be going after people who avoid and evade taxes. They are expanding the size of the IRS, and they are imposing more stringent penalties for intimidation and control of the citizenry.

On November 8, 2006 in a late night speech in Washington, after the Democrats captured a majority in the House of Representatives in the midterm election, Nancy Pelosi stated, “The American people voted to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history.”

Speaker Pelosi, you said you were going to have the most ethical Congress in history; therefore you should remove Rep. Rangel as the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Not necessarily because of the ethical violations he is charged with, but because he is incompetent and apparently is unfamiliar with the tax code when it comes to paying his taxes, so why should he be in charge of the tax-writing committee?

Rep. Rangel has given donations to three Democrats who sit on the House Ethics Committee who are investigating him. They are Congressmen Ben Chandler, of Kentucky, G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, and Peter Welch of Vermont. Speaker Pelosi, could this be unethical?

Therefore, the IRS should investigate, and audit Rep. Rangel’s taxes. If the investigation reveals he has evaded his taxes then he should be prosecuted.

Don’t have time to read the Washington Post or New York Times? Then get The Morning Bell, an early morning edition of the day’s most important political news, conservative commentary and original reporting from a team committed to following the truth no matter where it leads.

Email address

Ever feel like the only difference between the New York Times and Washington Post is the name? We do. Try the Morning Bell and get the day’s most important news and commentary from a team committed to the truth in formats that respect your time…and your intelligence.